Community Park Clean UpBuilds Teamwork

Park clean up is one of those projects that seems unlikely to be a
neighborhood revitalization catalyst. It might even seem frivolous. However, we've seen more than one
instance of such a project kicking off a whole series of community
pride events and innovations.

As we've said elsewhere, a park clean up is a relatively easy event
to plan and implement, and a recommended first step in community
organizing if there's a park in need of some attention.

This is one of the few activities that is recommended for every level of affluence or poverty in a neighborhood.

However, on this page where we invite visitor contributions,
we're really interested in parks of all sizes and all states of repair.
The neighborhood park page clean up linked below contemplates a smallish
park where a complete project can be accomplished on a Saturday.

Sometimes portions of larger parks have been neglected for decades,
or a former park may have become so overgrown it's not even common
knowledge that it is a park. Invasive species--the kudzu, bush
honeysuckle, and so forth--may have taken over. So we're hoping you can
tell stories about how you have worked on such a large problem over
time.

In many towns and cities, parks are suffering in the current
recession and despite good intentions, the assigned personnel may not be
able to keep up with required maintenance. Drought, vandalism,
graffiti, invasive species, wildfires, and random dumping all take a
toll.

The problem is that when the park looks as though no one cares,
that situation seems to attract laziness about property maintenance in
general and may lead to a decline in nearby property values or at least
perceived attractiveness of the neighborhood.

Not to mention, we really want potentially obese kids to get
outside and play, and when the parents are recoiling from various types
of trash or unkempt vegetation, there's just not as much encouragement
from home to get over to the park and get some exercise.

1. Assess carefully what needs to be done, and agree with the owner
of the park, presumably a government, on what can and should be done.

2. If you're an elected or appointed official yourself, divide
large tasks into smaller ones and set up a timeline that would allow you
to continue present levels of maintenance everywhere. Perhaps you need
volunteers to help with a particularly large or daunting task. Usually
some people who live near a problem park, or one that just is a little
under-maintained, will be glad to help.

3. If you have a major jungle somewhere, don't expect volunteers
to fix it. Consult the professionals who clear land for subdivisions and
so forth, as they will have the right equipment.

4. Careful pruning, selective cutting of the understory plants
(understory means just what it sounds like--the plants that are just
shorter than major trees but taller than ground cover, shrubbery, or
turf grass), and removal of dead debris may be "all" that is required
for park clean up in areas that appear extremely overgrown.

5. If your problem is broken glass, it's very important to outlaw
glass containers immediately and put some real enforcement muscle into
that ordinance. Then to clean it up, usually it's necessary to replace
entire mulch beds, sandboxes, expanses of lawn, or wherever it may have
accumulated. If it's embedded in grass, consult your town's most picky
lawn service about what to do.

OK, enough of what we think. What's your experience?

What have you found that works, or doesn't work, in terms of park
clean up? You can send us your thoughts through the use of the form
below, and then you can read other approved submissions for other ideas
and perspectives. Pictures are allowed too, so it could get
interesting, don't you think?

Show Off Your Park Clean Up

Did you organize a one-day, half-day, or multi-day park clean up? Whether volunteer-driven or undertaken for a modest budget, tell us how you recruited helpers, what was improved and how, your best clean up tips, and how you celebrated, if you did. What equipment did you need? Would you do it again? What would you change?

And when you send photos, if you have "before" and "after," we'll all be grateful.

Creative Ways for Park Clean Up! Not rated yetToo many people visit parks and other outdoor locations and do not practice a "leave no trace" philosophy. It is common knowledge that reducing our impact …